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In “Reconstructing a Great-Great Grandparent with Borland Genetics,” we will explore the cutting-edge process of ancestral DNA reconstruction, a method that allows us to piece together the genetic sequences of individuals from the past using the DNA of their living descendants. Kevin Borland will introduce the audience to the core concepts and tools developed by Borland Genetics, and discuss phasing, chromosome mapping, segment extraction, and merging techniques, which collectively facilitate the reconstruction of a historical individual's genome.

In the lecture “DNA Tools – Present and Future,” we are invited to navigate the evolving landscape of DNA analysis tools and envision the future of genetic genealogy. This course offers a comprehensive overview of the current array of DNA tools, such as Ancestry's Side-View, DNAPainter, and manual and automated shared match clustering tools. We’ll also discuss sites with comprehensive tool suites like GEDmatch and mitoYDNA.  Looking ahead, the course outlines the promising horizon of the future of genetic genealogy, including innovations in hybrid tools, artifact testing, and the potential of AI in enhancing DNA analysis.

Kevin Borland is the founder and chief scientist at Borland Genetics, a company that designs tools for genealogical DNA analysis, and hosts a leading third-party autosomal DNA database of the same name. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from MIT and has been developing genetic genealogy technology since 2013, largely focusing on mathematical reconstruction of genomes of the deceased. He has appeared on the TV show “Relative Race” and also serves on the board of mitoY-DNA. Kevin is an attorney licensed in Virginia and the District of Columbia and holds an LLM in Environmental Law. In his free time, he enjoys music production and recently released his fifth solo album “The Harvest.”  Kevin is best known in the genetic genealogy industry for designing an automated assistant called the “Creeper” which guides users through advanced processes such as visual phasing and ancestor reconstruction by designing and executing custom workflows based on their unique DNA inventories.